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On a beautiful, sunny day
in April 2023, nine ELA
members met for a tour of the
recently renovated Wychwood Library.
Vivienne James brilliantly organized
the tour, which was wonderfully led
by Librarian in Charge Isobel Lang.
A grant from the Carnegie
Corporation in New York saw the
Wychwood Branch open in 1916, along
with two identical TPL branches —
Beaches and High Park. e architects,
Eden Smith and Sons, created the
library in the Tudor Gothic style,
giving the branch’s patrons, largely
working-class immigrants, a connection
to their Scottish and English roots.
In 1976 the Wychwood Branch was
designated a Toronto Heritage building.
It underwent a renovation addition in
1978, and a retrot in 1995. In June
2018 the branch closed for a major
renovation, undertaken by SZA,
Shoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd.,
and reopened in October 2022.
e key features of the recent
Ex Libris Association Newsletter
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Welcome to the New Wychwood Branch, 1
Toronto Public Library
By Doreen London
President’s Report 2
By Deb Thomas
Canadian Federation of Library Associations/ 3
Fédération canadienne des associations de
bibliothèques (CFLA–FCAB)
By Todd Kyle
CFLA-FCAB Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) 3
By Dick Ellis
2023 W. Kaye Lamb Award 4
for Service to Seniors
By Christina Wilson
ELA Website Update 5
By Lorne D. Bruce
Technology Unmasked! Book Bans 5
By Stan Orlov
How and Why I Became a Librarian 6
By Ralph W. Manning
Last Chance: University of Ottawa 7
Library School
By Betty Deavy
Library Treasures of Britain: 7
Bishop Porteus Library, Fulham Palace, London
By Guy Robertson
Odds & Bookends: Librarians are Lovers! 8
By Matt Scholtz
Book Reviews 9
Good Reads 11
By Judy Dunn
On the Scents of Books 12
By Leslie McGrath
A Virtual Tour of Stanley A. Milner Library, 14
Edmonton Public Library
By Gladys Watson
News from the Provinces 15
News from Canadian Library/Information 19
Studies Schools
Compiled by Judy Dunn
Milestones 21
ELA Indigenous-Student Bursary 24
By Deb Thomas
Number 74/Fall 2023
ELANELAN
ELANELAN
exlibris.ca
Welcome to the New Wychwood Branch,
Toronto Public Library
By Doreen London
ELAN
ELANELAN
renovation are a doubling in size and
new spaces for adults, children, teens,
and seniors that oer technology
stations or laptop bars, quiet study
areas, lounge seating, and exible spaces
for collaboration. Most impressive is
the inviting Beaver Lodge children’s
Photo credit: Doreen London
Continued on page 2
2 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
...continued from page 1
area, introducing nature and early-
literacy activities to young children.
Accessibility was key in the design, so
the furnishings include an elevator, a
circulation desk that can be raised or
lowered, and barrier-free washrooms.
e architects preserved and
incorporated the old with the new,
hence the original exterior stone walls
throughout the interior, original replace,
high ceilings, original roof and windows,
and preservation of the “look” of the 1916
library. An immense, gorgeous spiral
staircase joins the rst and second levels.
A tribute to the Arts and Crafts
movement is highlighted by large maple
work tables crafted from the large maple
cut down for the reno, by William
Morris wallpaper and by the portrait of
Marmaduke Matthews by George A. Reid
(Matthews is aectionately remembered
as the creator of Wychwood Park as an
art colony, where he once lived, in 1874).
Lunch followed the tour and seven
fortunate diners met at Ferro Bar Café for
great food and conversation. As Vivienne
so aptly put it, they “really did enjoy
sharing the wide range of experiences
that we had in our journey as librarians,
and ELA represents the extreme
richness in and of our profession.”
To see more photos from this event
go to https://www.exlibris.ca/
doku.php?id=activities:tours.
Doreen London retired after working as
a reference librarian, manager/assistant
director, Seneca College 1977 to 2004.
n
President’s Report
By Deb Thomas
The year 2023 is
just months away
from moving on
to 2024. What has been
its legacy for ELA?
• We launched the
Indigenous Student
Bursary (see back page of this issue).
• Christina Wilson and her committee
announced the application deadline
for the biennial W. Kaye Lamb
award, for which we received so
many excellent applications in 2021
(see this issue, page 4).
• Two fascinating tours — one
in person and one virtual — of
Canadian libraries were organized
by Vivienne James for members (see
this issue, front page and page 14).
• e board surveyed members on
their preferences for our AGM and
annual conference — and on topics
of interest for webinars (see more
details in Upcoming Events at right).
• Lorne Bruce and his committee
continue to update the Biographies
of Librarians and Information
Professionals and Lorne maintains
the remembrance page (where
members can post memories and
tributes of deceased colleagues) on
our website.
• Frances Davidson-Arnott and her
committee continue to produce
information-packed issues of ELAN,
like this one — available in print and
online.
• We planned for our AGM and
educational webinars for members
(see more details in Upcoming
Events at right).
• Members exchanged links and
commentary on our listserv on
issues in the library world, including
threats to intellectual freedom and
library budgets on both sides of the
U.S. and Canada border.
• Sadly, we lost a former ELA board
member this year, as Matt Scholtz
died in June. Matt was a thoughtful
and very funny man who gave very
good hugs. We will miss him.
We continue to look for new recruits
to the board, in particular for vice-
president (president-elect) and archivist
positions. We’re looking forward to
another busy year and we can always use
more minds to help with our activities
and initiatives. Join us!
Go to our website for a list of Board
members.
Deb omas recently retired from a 40-
plus year career in libraries, 30 years of
which were in public management.
n
Upcoming Events
Annual General Meeting:
Save the date!
e 2023 ELA virtual
AGM will be held on Monday,
November 6, at 10 a.m. Pacic
Time/11 a.m. Mountain/Noon
Central/1 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m.
Atlantic/2:30 p.m. Newfoundland.
An agenda will be distributed
closer to the date.
Webinar:
e ELA 2023 Annual
Conference will be online in the
form of an hour-long webinar,
Tuesday, October 24 at 10 a.m.
Pacic Time/11 a.m. Mountain/
Noon Central/1 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m.
Atlantic/2:30 p.m. Newfoundland.
e presenter will be Kayla
Lar-Son, Indigenous Programs and
Services Librarian for the Xwi7xwa
Library in UBC’s First Nations
House of Learning. In this session
we will explore the concept of
Indigenous data,knowledge, and
cultural sovereignty and how this
relates to libraries. Information,
with links, will be sent to you
via the listserv in advance.
In-Person Gathering:
We are also planning an in-
person presentation, with Fiona
Smith, senior services specialist
– Local History in the Special
Collections Departmentat the
Toronto Reference Library,on
the history and present state of
Carnegie libraries in Ontario.
e place, date, and time are
yet to be determined, but it is
hoped that the presentation can
be accompanied by a lunch or
dinner that oers members an
opportunity to socialize. More
details will be shared on the listserv.
Tours:
Information about ELA fall
tours will appear on the listserv,
once they’re arranged.Suggestions
for future tours are always
welcome from members. Please
contact Vivienne James at:
vivienne.g.james@gmail.com
with your ideas for future tours.
3
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Canadian Federation of Library Associations/Fédération
canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (CFLA–FCAB)
By Todd Kyle
CFLA has
been very
active on
the intellectual-
freedom front,
lending support
to many libraries
facing challenges
to controversial
materials, programs, and policies
through its CFLA Intellectual Freedom
Toolkit. Most importantly, it has
struck an agreement in principle with
the Centre for Free Expression (CFE)
at Toronto Metropolitan University,
to partner on a joint-challenges
database. CFLA, and Canadian Library
Association before it, have run a
library material–challenges survey for
many years, compiling annual reports
and lists. e CFE recently began
working with several large urban public
libraries to enter their challenges
into a public, searchable database
that includes related documents
such as response letters. Going
forward, the two will be combined
and include other library sectors.
In May CFLA also presented its
second national forum, as part of
the all-virtual Manitoba Libraries
Conference and to inform future CFLA
actions on the topic. e guest speaker
was Lucy Santos Green; the discussion
centered around the “moral panic” of
the co-ordinated attempts to challenge
and ban materials and programs that
centre on marginalized groups such
as the LGBTQ2S+ community.
On the copyright front, CFLA
produced two submissions to
government consultations. e rst
addressed the copyright framework
for online intermediaries, otherwise
known as large web-based streaming
and sharing platforms. is consultation
urged the government to ensure that
libraries and related organizations
are not subject to potentially onerous
restrictions and can continue to serve
their communities. e second was on
a framework for AI and the Internet
of ings, which addressed the topics
of data mining, AI authorship, and the
right to repair. CFLA also contributed to
a paper on Controlled Digital Lending
for the Partnership journal and an op-ed
on Crown copyright for e Hill Times.
Work continues on the introduction
of a new cataloguing code of ethics
that was drafted as a joint project of
the American Library Association,
Chartered Institute of Information
and Library Professionals, and CFLA.
A survey has recently been sent to
Canadian library community members
to help the Cataloguing Code of Ethics
Review Working Group to determine if
the CFLA board should adopt the code.
After the new board of directors was
appointed earlier this year, Ann Smith
(Atlantic Provinces representative) was
appointed secretary. e Indigenous
Matters Committee was reformed with
new members and Kirk MacLeod as
its chair. A Climate Action Committee
has been created; its members and a
chair being recruited. Finally, CFLA
has begun updating the strategic
plan to present at its next AGM.
ELA is a CFLA–FCAB member.
Todd Kyle is CEO, Brampton
Public Library. He was CFLA-
FCAB Chair for 2021.
n
CFLA-FCAB Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC)
By Dick Ellis
This is my second column, and
I nd it dicult to report on
processes that will have concluded,
but are now in progress, so let us get
that aspect out of the way at the outset.
As of late July, discussions between the
IFC and the Centre for Free Expression
continue; the CFLA-FCAB board has
been informed of the progress. Both
organizations are dedicated to serving
the Canadian library community. Likely
a resolution will be achieved by late
September when this issue of ELAN is
published.
Joined by Heather Hill of Western
University, the IFC’s working group on
the CFLA-FCAB Intellectual Freedom
Challenges Survey created a survey
of Canadian public libraries, to gauge
familiarity with the survey and determine
participation impediments. It was
chastening to learn that a substantial
number of libraries were unaware of the
survey, in place since 2007. It appears the
usual communication channel from the
centre to the periphery is not working very
well, and the committee is developing a
more robust communication system.
On that note, in case ELA members
have not noticed, the 2022 report
challenges — including a list of challenged
titles — is now on the CFLA-FCAB
website. e 2022 survey was a banner
year for responses that surpassed previous
years, and 2023 seems likely to eclipse it.
Where communication is working
well is between the IFC and Association
des bibliothèques publiques du Québec.
e 2022 data includes more entries from
Quebec than any annual report in the past,
and submissions of 2023 incidents seem
likely to exceed the 2022 reported number.
Survey working-group members
supplied an article concerning challenges
to the 2023 Freedom to Read Week
campaign and graphic material on the
most-challenged titles. is group is
committed to supplying further material
for the 2024 Freedom to Read Week,
Continued on page 4
4 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Donate to ELA
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helps us broaden and increase our activities. All donations are tax deductible.
To enhance recruitment, we oer a GIFT MEMBERSHIPoption, whereby a
current member can make a $10 tax-deductible donation for each individual
and,in return, be able to invite someone to join ELA for a one-year free trial
membership. You can use this donation/gift option as often as you like.
Options for donations include cheque, CanadaHelps, and e-transfer.
Please mail your cheque to Bob Henderson, 66 Walkerton
Drive, Markham ON L3P 1H8. If you prefer to donate through
e-transfer, please email Bob at bob.exlibris@gmail.com.
ELANELAN in Electronic
Format
For members who wish to receive
future ELAN issues in an electronic
format, please contact
Bob Henderson at
bob.exlibris@gmail.com.
...continued from page 3
following our former colleague Deb
omas’s precedent.
Some of the IFC’s work is drafting
statements for the CFLA-FCAB board.
While the ultimate statement is, of
course, the board’s responsibility, the IFC
identies the issues and provides a draft.
Recently the board acted on two issues the
IFC identied — the Chilliwack RCMP
nding that works in the Chilliwack
Public Library did not constitute child
pornography as Action4Canada had
alleged and, in the wake of events in
southern Manitoba and New Brunswick,
a statement to the Canadian Federation
of Municipalities urging preparation for
additional actions against libraries that
use demonstrably false information in an
attempt to convince councils to defund
local libraries.
As noted in the last column, Michael
Nyby’s article, “e Demography of
Censorship,” has been published in e
Partnership v. 18 #1.
In that column, I noted that the IFC
was advertising for new members. Since
then, Marc Saunders of Port Moody PL,
Martin Bonnard of ABPQ, Dina Stevens of
the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries,
and Sharon Day of Edmonton PL have
joined us, and Michael Nyby has been
elected vice-chair.
We are up to strength, but more
vacancies will occur in 2024 as terms
expire. ELA members are excellent
candidates for membership and, who
knows, one may have the opportunity to
write an article for ELAN.
Dick Ellis is Librarian Emeritus at
Memorial University.
n
2023 W. Kaye Lamb
Award for Service to
Seniors
By Christina Wilson
ELA and the Canadian
Federation of Library
Associations/Fédération
canadienne des associations de
bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) sent
out the call for applications in June.
Open to any library across Canada
— private, public, governmental,
special, or post-secondary — the
W. Kaye Lamb Award is named for
Canada’s rst National Librarian.
e award committee especially
invites libraries serving First Nations’
communities to consider applying. e
committee comprises ELA’s Christina
Wilson (chair), Donna Burton, Todd
Kyle, and CFLA-FCAB board liaison,
Ann Smith, past-president, Atlantic
Provinces Library Association and
currently a liaison librarian with
Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia
University — connecting us to CFLA-
FCAB and the post-secondary sector.
Michael/Michelle Rogowski, CFLA-
FCAB oce co-ordinator, provides
support to this committee.
By co-sponsoring the award,
Canada’s two national library
associations recognize outstanding
library service to seniors and Elders,
with a cash prize of $500 and a plaque.
Awarded biennially when merited, the
award was last presented in 2021 to
West Vancouver Memorial Library,
which won out over 13 other libraries
serving senior communities in Nova
Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, and British
Columbia.
Reading the applications, the
committee learned about the
innovative ways Canada’s library
community served library users,
especially seniors and Elders, during
a national pandemic. Libraries
retooled their services and spaces to
comply with COVID-19 protocols
to keep people safe, informed, and
connected to their communities. As
libraries in all sectors continue to
adapt, the W. Kaye Lamb Award for
Service to Seniors seeks to reward and
highlight these eorts by sharing our
colleagues’ expertise, responsiveness,
and resilience in serving seniors
and Elders. With your assistance in
spreading the word about the award,
we hope to attract a wide-ranging
group of exceptional applications.
Please do your part to talk up
this award! If your library or alumni
institution is providing outstanding
service to seniors, suggest they apply
or contact a committee member.
Visit the ELA website for details of the
application process.
e deadline is Monday, October 2,
2023. Send your application to CFLA-
FCAB.
For more information, contact me at:
chriswilson@shaw.ca.
Christina Wilson, recently retired
as CEO, Red Deer PL, has worked
for public libraries in Ontario and
Alberta.
n
5
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
ELA Website Update
By Lorne D. Bruce
2023 has been busy year in terms
of adding content and reviewing
the technical details of our
website, http://www.exlibris.ca.
Our Memoriam and Tributes section
continues to grow. We have added a
News section, which can also serve as
an archive for important statements,
and a new page for our Indigenous
bursary. Older pages have been updated
for the W. Kaye Lamb Award. A page
for Zoom usage was also added to
help ELA members connect at the
annual meeting. Most new updates are
announced through our listserv that
currently has almost 200 members.
For the most part, however, our
work has focused on correcting
broken links, xing URLs for Google
to pick up more eciently, updating
our plug-ins (programs that allow us
to do things and use better editing
syntax) and, especially, a new-look
template with a pale yellow background
replacing the older “green look.” e
new template allows us to add pictures
more easily and is actually more like a
standard wiki look, such as the well-
known Wikipedia, which uses a more
hi-tech version of wiki software than
our smaller site. A number of pictures
have been added throughout the
site, such as a graduation portrait of
Winifred Barnstead in 1906, especially
in the big biography section.
Along with our listserv, the wiki
format for our site makes it easier to
contact our membership and keep
people updated. We will continue to
make technical changes that make
the site more available to people
across the Internet and, hopefully,
get more linkages with other sites.
Lorne D. Bruce was a librarian at
the University of Guelph, retiring
in 2012. He previously worked
in two public libraries.
n
Welcome to New
ELA Members
We’re proud to welcome these new
ELA members:
Michelle Arbuckle, Toronto
Mariella Bertelli, Toronto
Brian Bertrand, Toronto
Mary Butterill, Ottawa
Elizabeth Deavy, Ottawa
Muriel Hart, Toronto
Brenda Livingston, Toronto
Christine Mosser, Toronto
Julia O’Hara, Toronto
Terry Palmer, Waterloo, ON
Margaret Raven, Black Rock, NS
Joanne Schwartz, Toronto
Laura M. Snyder, Sackville NB
Mirela Turcan, Toronto
Technology
Unmasked! Book Bans
By Stan Orlov
Books have been
banned around the
world for centuries.
Recently, technology has
made it easier than ever
to censor and restrict
access, especially for
young readers, to banned
books and other content. Schools and
libraries can use Internet ltering software
to block websites and materials including
books deemed inappropriate or oensive.
For instance, LearnSafe, used by many
public schools in the U.S., analyzes school
computer screens for digital behaviour
that is not compliant with school policies
and guidelines, and creates a detailed
incident report for administrators, who
then can work with the student who used
a computer inappropriately. While helpful
to ght bullying and prevent criminal
activities, such software programs are only
as good as the policies and guidelines they
are using. Guided by the Children’s Internet
Protection Act (CIPA), enacted in 2000,
and a recent spate of bills at all government
levels aimed at restricting access to various
materials, schools and public libraries in
some states have no choice but to remove
such materials from circulation. ose who
read postings on the ELA listserv know
this process has started aecting Canada.
So, what can one do to
circumvent the restrictions?
• A virtual private network (VPN)
program that hides one’s activity
from prying eyes might be dicult
or impossible to install and use
on a public computer. Having
it on one’s personal computer
or smartphone allows access to
materials schools or libraries block.
• A SmartDNS (Domain Name
System) that allows access to content,
otherwise inaccessible in one’s region
due to geoblocking, is another option.
• Tor Browser prevents someone
watching your connection from
knowing what websites you
visit. It ensures users’ anonymity
by using so-called “pluggable
transports” that make web surng
look like a video-conference or
email trac, for instance.
• Torrents are a method of distributing
les over the Internet that allow
sharing les through a decentralized,
peer-to-peer network (P2P),
usually for free. While torrenting
is illegal, if downloading and
sharing unsanctioned copyrighted
material, it is another tool in
the ght against censorship.
As to banned books and other materials,
Books Unbanned, an initiative launched
by Brooklyn PL and joined by Seattle
PL, provides teens nationwide with a
free eCard, giving access to their full
e-book collections, as well as the learning
databases. While attempts to limit youth
access to information multiply, often with
help of technology, existing and emerging
technological solutions are also available
to counterbalance these attempts.
Please send your questions and
comments to stan.orlov@msvu.ca.
Stanislav Orlov is Systems Librarian at
Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.
n
6 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
How and Why I Became a Librarian
By Ralph W. Manning
My rst experience with
libraries was in the 1950s at
Toronto Public Library’s Main
Street Branch. e children’s section
was on the second oor, in a very tight
space with a low ceiling — perfect
for children, but certain to concuss
any adult who ventured up there.
When my family moved to
Scarborough, I attended Agincourt
Collegiate Institute, and Scarborough
Public Library’s Agincourt Branch
was directly across Midland Avenue,
in a small bungalow. e building was
far too small for the collection, and
books were piled everywhere on the
oor and stacked on top of the tightly
packed shelves. e librarian, Mrs.
Hunt, was a grumpy, corpulent lady
who always sat at the front desk with
a cigarette dangling from her mouth,
dropping ashes onto the surface in
front of her. Her two assistants were
Mrs. Gooderham and Mrs. Goddard,
who were known as Good God.
I asked for a job and was hired.
Shortly afterward, the library moved
to more spacious quarters just down
the street. Neither building was
suited for use as a library. With lots
of space in several rooms, the second
building was still a repurposed house,
located on Sheppard Avenue, exactly
where Midland Avenue took a jog
across Sheppard. Some years later,
after I had left the area, Agincourt
village was swallowed up by Toronto’s
expansion and became a busy suburb.
e library at the corner of Midland
and Sheppard was demolished to
make room for the widening of both
Sheppard and Midland avenues — I
believe it would have sat squarely in
the middle of the new intersection. I
never visited Agincourt Branch’s next
location, which found its new home
in a mall farther east on Sheppard.
Mrs. Hunt and Good God continued
to be xtures at the library until my
family left the area in 1966. One of
my recollections about working in
that library was the summer I was
assigned to wash the books, which
were all in plastic book covers. e
exercise made the plastic quite
sticky, and I can still remember the
frequent avalanches when one book
was pulled from the shelf and all
of its neighbours came with it.
Another special memory was the
summer when Reverend Robert Bonis
asked me to help him with his research
on Scarborough’s history. I will never
forget crawling around in the attic
of an old library on Markham Road,
searching through badly crumbling
newspapers. Rev. Bonis was a member
of the committee that selected street
names and I remember he told me he
hoped to nd a suitable candidate for a
street that could be named Bonis Bank.
I see that the current building of the
Agincourt Branch is a beautiful modern
structure, situated on Bonis Avenue.
I wonder if that is a coincidence, but
either way it is a tting tribute.
When I enrolled at the University
of Toronto, I immediately got a job at
Write for
ELAN
e Newsletter Committee welcomes contributions from our members.
We are seeking articles, news items, and ideas that you think would be
of interest to ELA members for publication in ELAN. Please submit your
articles on items of interest to our members, including your memoirs
of early days or important gures in librarianship, library history, your
own career, and your current activities in the eld. We especially need
contributions to our regular feature, “Why I Became a Librarian.”
For submission information, see the back page.
University College’s Laidlaw Library,
a spacious undergraduate library
that occupied the north side of the
quadrangle. I shelved books, read
the shelves, checked out books, and,
eventually, was trusted enough with
a key, so I could close the library on
Sunday nights, after a sleepy shift.
After my university years, I went
on to library school at the University
of Western Ontario and, right after
graduation, joined the National
Library of Canada, where I spent
my entire career, except for six years
as assistant university librarian at
the University of Ottawa. At the
National Library and Library and
Archives Canada, I had an interesting
and varied career that included
Canadian and international library
statistics, preservation standards,
library services for people with print
disabilities, national and international
standards, and strategic policy.
It was quite early in my nascent
career that I knew that I was destined
to become a librarian. I remember
telling a neighbour about my plan and
she remarked that I had chosen a “very
clean occupation.” e fact that I have
such clear memories of Mrs. Hunt,
Good God, and many friends from
my years at Laidlaw Library, including
Frances Davidson-Arnott, a fellow
student assistant, surely testies to
the inuence of those individuals on
my choice to become a librarian.
n
Notice to
Members
Help us keep our email listserv
current. If you and/or someone you
know are/is not receiving our emails,
send your new email address to Bob
Henderson at bob.exlibris@gmail.
com. e names of potential new
members may also be sent to Bob
Henderson at the same address.
And please submit any
outstanding membership dues.
7
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
I
had wanted to become a librarian
for a quarter of a century, but
the priorities of home and family
postponed any steps toward that
goal. In the summer of 1971 I nally
applied for admission to the University
of Ottawa Library School. It was not
yet an accredited school but the new
director, Peter Havard-Williams, was
taking steps to update the program.
As a mature student, would
I be accepted? Could I balance
responsibilities at home? Could I pass
a bilingual-selection interview with
Father Morisset, the founder of the
library school back in the 1930s? Would
I t in with the younger student body?
I would try. From my very rst lecture
from Dean Peter Havard-Williams — on
International Librarianship — to the
foundational courses of Cataloguing
and Reference as well as the more
specialized subjects — such as History
of the Book, Bibliography, Audio
Visual Tools, and Computers — I loved
and absorbed them all. Our teachers
were varied and interesting. Father
Morisset was often in the library
and would stop to inquire about my
progress and oer pieces of advice.
I soon became absorbed in the life
of the school, eating lunch with friends
and working on assignments in the
library most weeknights until
9 p.m. Maintaining the household and
participating in the village of which
I was an active part was demanding.
It would not have worked without
the full support of my family. at
year I did have to cut back on other
interests such as concerts and plays,
but the professors and other students
provided me with a dierent world of
experiences and knowledge that more
than compensated for my sacrices.
However, there were problems common
to all the students caused by the
building, some of the teachers, and
the activities of some of the students,
which made concentration and learning
more dicult. Even so, most of the
students made it through the year.
A eld trip to the National Library,
two weeks of practical work at a
local special library, last essays and
reports, and nal exams led to a
graduation ceremony. More than that,
it led to a wonderful career for me as
Government and Law Specialist at
the National Library of Canada, from
which I retired more than 20 years
later in 1993. Unfortunately, it was
not as happy a future for the library
school, as mine proved to be the nal
class for many years. I felt doubly
grateful that I had decided to go when
I did and very sorry to think of Father
Morisset’s lovely library unused.
is is a brief version of a longer article
found at:
exlibris.ca/doku.
php?id=occasional_papers:library_
school_ottawa_1971-72.
For the ELAN 2020 Special Issue on the
history of e School of Information
Studies (ÉSIS, née School of Library and
Information Science) at the University of
Ottawa /Université d’Ottawa, go to:
exlibris.ca/lib/exe/fetch.
php?media=newsletters:elan_issue_
special_summer_2020.pdf.
n
Continued on page 8
Last Chance: University of Ottawa Library School
By Betty Deavy
One expects the Bishops
of London to reside in a
palace and, until 1973, they
did. When they left, Fulham Palace
became a popular destination for
visitors from all over the world.
Historians and architects consider it
to be as noteworthy as any of the other
residences in a city that boasts some of
the world’s most important real estate.
is includes Buckingham Palace,
Clarence House, and Kensington Palace,
which are larger, more famous, and
more impressively furnished, but not
nearly as comfortable as Fulham Palace,
nor as welcoming, nor as tranquil
— qualities evident in its library.
Most visitors to the palace intend
to see the little museum and its
interactive exhibits, or plan to stroll
through the magnicent botanical
garden, established by Bishop Grindal
(1519–1583). In this garden, Bishop
Compton (1675–1713) introduced the
rst American azalea and coee tree
in England. John Evelyn, the noted
diarist, horticulturalist, and friend of
Samuel Pepys, regarded the garden as
remarkable, as does anyone else who
examines its broad variety of plants.
While these attractions make the palace
a site of general interest, the Porteus
Library serves as a lens on its practical
purposes since the early 19th century.
Upon his death, Bishop Beilby
Porteus (1731–1809) left a plan, his
books, and a substantial sum of money
for the development of the library,
Library Treasures of Britain: Bishop Porteus Library,
Fulham Palace, London
By Guy Robertson
Library interior
Photo credit: Guy Robertson
8 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
...continued from page 7
which occupies the space of a former
chapel. Palace administrators have
striven to ensure the library appears
as it did during the late 19th and early
20th centuries. e design encourages
reading and quiet conversation, and
underscores the palace’s reputation
for comfort and relaxation.
Porteus’s books have been moved
to the University of London’s Senate
House Library, but currently on the
palace library’s shelves are some ne
17th-century volumes — theology,
history, and “miscellaneous” — as well
as volumes on loan from the family of a
previous Bishop of London. Generally,
the collection’s condition is good, aside
from the usual foxing and the occasional
stain, not surprising in older volumes
that have had numerous readers.
Security and conservation have long
been concerns at the library. Recently
conservators oversaw the security-
system upgrade with new nylon wiring
for each of the 168 shelves. e system
was designed to support the accessibility
of individual volumes as required,
while remaining inconspicuous
to patrons. e conservators also
noted that volumes were too tightly
shelved and inadequately stored
beside other volumes. To prevent
their warping, volumes were
rearranged on their shelves to create
breathing space and ease of access.
Palace administrators hope to replace
the library’s old and inecient lighting
with LED lighting that will reduce
electrical bills and the carbon footprint.
With better lighting, the library’s 11
paintings of former bishops (including
Porteus) will be easier to view, along
with paintings of the palace’s Tudor
courtyard and a local park. None of
these paintings could be considered
masterpieces, but all provide historical
context for the palace as the bishops’
residence from the early 8th century to
1973. Among those who will appreciate
new lighting are volunteers, such
as Susan Shocket, a member of the
Fulham Palace Sewing Bee that, among
other activities, mends costumes for
young visitors who want to learn more
about the palace and its history.
“We can set up in the library, and
people can see what we’re working
on,” says Susan. Aside from costume
repair, she and her fellow volunteers
recently created a colourful altar cloth
for a local church. Such projects are
painstaking and time-consuming, but
always of interest to library visitors.
Susan mentions their delight in the
secret door in a corner. Was this the
bishops’ escape route in case of civil
unrest, or perhaps a problem patron?
“It was probably nothing more than
a convenience for palace people to
get from one part of the building to
another, but I suppose that you could
make a hasty exit if the need arose.”
Visitors prefer to leave by the
usual door, on their way to the café
or back to the garden. But, they will
not forget the library, and will revisit
it when the hectic London world
makes them seek a quiet place for
reection and leather-bound volumes.
For more information, consult
the Fulham Palace website.
Guy Robertson is an instructor at
Langara College, teaching library
history, reference services, and records
management. He is a disaster-planning
consultant and the author of ve books
on library and archival topics.
n
Odds & Bookends: Librarians are Lovers!
By Matt Scholtz
LIBRARIANS ARE LOVERS!
at was the message
on the t-shirt.
But was it just a bit of whimsey?
Something to catch the eye?
Well, it turns out that the
archetypical lover, Giacomo Casanova,
(1725–1798) was in fact, for a time,
a librarian, cataloguing a private
collection (without benet of Dewey
tables or AA Cataloguing rules).
Down on his luck (and possibly
going into hiding for a while to escape
angry husbands he had cuckolded),
Casanova was employed for 13
years by Count Waldstein in Dux,
Bohemia. Over time the good count
had amassed a collection of 40,000
books, but he really didn’t know what
he had. (Probably he didn’t know
why he had bothered collecting so
many books in the rst place.)
Goodness knows what this
dilettante was doing with joint
authors and corporate authors. I
don’t even want to think of how
accurate his spelling was, or whether
his authority le had any credence.
No doubt, often the good count was
heard to exclaim, “What!?! I have two
copies of this work? Are you sure?”
Some titles remained uncatalogued
Secret door
Photo credit: Guy Robertson
Continued on page 9
9
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Book Reviews
Continued on page 10
...continued from page 8
— because Casanova spent most of his
time writing e Complete Memoirs
of Casanova: e Story of My Life,
considered one of the nest exposés of
contemporary life in Italy. And was his
reputation deserved? No question there.
According to Adventurer: e Life
and Times of Giacomo Casanova by
Leo Damrosch (Yale University Press,
2022), that erstwhile cataloguer was an
unreserved hedonist and unabashed
libertine. He deed social conventions
and moral hypocrisy, asserting we are
(as the song goes) not here for a long
time, but for a good time. In fact, he
believed pleasure was a ‘gift of God,’ and
penitents need not wander about the
country, atoning for sins in sackcloth
and ashes. In Casanova’s world, it was
always party time. And, luckily for him,
he lived in Venice, the most libertine-
friendly spot in Europe. Well, for him,
anyway. It never occurred to him that
his lady friends were sometimes less
amused and willing. In those cases, the
ladies had powerful husbands who saw
to it that Casanova spent a lot of time
in dank, mouldy prisons. (No word on
whether these prisons had libraries,
with collections needing organization.)
Matt Scholtz was chief librarian
of the Tillsonburg PL (1970–2010).
He died in June 2023 (see his
obituary in this issue, page 22).
n
Books of Interest to
Members
ELAN welcomes news about
books by ELA members. Send a
brief description or an advertising
brochure to Frances.Davidson-
Arnott@senecaretirees.ca.
Cloud
Cuckoo Land
By Anthony
Doerr
Scribner, 2022
Reviewed by
Julia Schneider
Cloud
Cuckoo Land is
full of surprising
twists we have no problem believing.
Toward the end of this epic story, based
on epic stories, Marian the librarian
sends prisoner Seymour three boxes of
translations written by Zeno, the man
whose death he caused, and her action
seems justied. “Access is part of the
librarian’s creed,” she tells him; we know
that already, yet it seems particularly
right in the context of this novel.
Anthony Doerr’s story spans
centuries and involves people who nd
meaning in stories from long ago. e
specic story here is Apuleius’s e
Golden Ass and it has great meaning
and redemptive power in Anna and
Omeir’s struggle for survival in 15th-
century Constantinople, Seymour
and Zeno in contemporary Lakeport,
Idaho, and Konstance, somewhere,
sometime in the future. For all of
them, the meaning they seek and
discover through it makes their survival
possible in times of great threats we
ourselves know (such as wars, AI, and
climate change) because they are all
around us and we can’t escape them.
e paradox of Cloud Cuckoo Land
is that reading about these threats
provides an escape. In Doerr’s long
but engrossing book — episodic in
structure, with vivid and relatable
characters and a complex but cohesive
plot — the storytelling triumphs. In
this book that he dedicates “for the
librarians, then, now, and in the years
to come,” he creates a world full of
discovery and renewed hope. “e
world is enough,” says one of Zeno’s
youthful charges and, through this story,
Doerr shows us it is more valuable than
some chimerical cloud in the skies.
Some commentators have compared
Cloud Cuckoo Land to David Mitchell’s
earlier Cloud Atlas — both have
“Cloud” in their titles! Seriously, though,
both have similar themes and complex,
episodic plots, but their authors’
writing styles are quite dierent. Is this
another misguided Ed Sheeranesque
attempt to nd derivation?
You should read Cloud Cuckoo Land
— after all, how many authors have
convincingly written a “paean to books”
and then dedicated it to librarians?
Beaver Books
for a Dime: A
Bibliographic
History of the
Children’s
Books of
Brunswick
Press, 1952–
1984. New
Brunswick
Bibliography
Series,
Volume 3
By Susan R. Fisher and
Margot Staord
Gaspereau Press, 2022
Reviewed by Sylvia Murray
Focused on the children’s books
published by the Brunswick Press,
this volume is a beautifully printed
paperback, with several black-
and-white photographs and many
pages of full-colour illustrations.
ere is a dust cover, but both
the book’s front and back covers
themselves have reproductions of
many of the published books.
Part One, e Story of the Brunswick
Press, is a fascinating read covering
the background of the publisher,
Michael Wardell — an Englishman
who Lord Beaverbrook brought
to New Brunswick to manage his
newspaper, e Daily Gleaner — and
the history of the Brunswick Press
that Wardell founded. e press was
an early adopter of full-colour oset
printing, which encouraged Wardell
to concentrate on the publication of
children’s picture books. We learn
about his rst publications — the
10 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
...continued from page 9
When You Move
When you move, please remember to send your new address to
Bob Henderson
66 Walkerton Drive, Markham ON L3P 1H8
or
bob.exlibris@gmail.com.
Beaver Books or “BeaverDime” books,
introduced by Wardell with the help of
a couple of talented Czech illustrators.
Part Two, e Children’s Books of
Brunswick Press: Uncovering History
rough Bibliography, gives us a
detailed and chronological discussion
of its children’s books, from 1952
to 1984, and presents an excellent
look at early children’s publishing.
e authors did a great deal of work
tracing all its children’s books, many
of which are very rare now and found
mainly in special collections. Often the
authors’ main source was the OCLC
database. Each book is listed, giving
author, title, illustrator(s), series (if
applicable), dimensions, and availability.
In the Conclusions section, the
authors recount their work’s diculty
and the responsibility they felt of the
necessity to present a more accurate
look at a little-known press.
ere are three appendices.
Appendix One, Children’s Books,
gives a complete list of Brunswick
Press titles arranged rst by author,
then by collection (e.g. the Children’s
Coloured Library) and, lastly, by
series, including the BeaverDime
books. Appendix Two lists the archival
materials such as newspaper articles
and advertisements, secondary
sources from interviews, and articles
from books and histories used by the
authors. Appendix ree provides
colour-plate details in the book.
e volume has an excellent index.
Le livre et la
bibliothèque:
la quête des
savoirs et de
la culture.
Mélanges
oerts à Marcel
Lajeunesse
Carol Couture,
Éric Leroux,
and Marcel
Lajeunesse eds.
Presses de l’Université
du Québec, 2023
Reviewed by Lorne D. Bruce
is festschrift celebrates
Dr. Marcel Lajeunesse’s achievements,
with a collection of 15 essays (14 in
French and one in English) on book
history, literature, and reading. Le livre
et la bibliothèque is particularly strong
in biography, social life, and cultural
history. Marcel Lajeunesse directed
the Université de Montréal’s School of
Library and Information Science from
1987 to 1994, and has authored more
than 200 publications related to the
history of books and libraries, as well
as the comparative and international
aspects of information. e volume’s
rst section introduces
Dr. Lajeunesse, with six
brief testimonials.
A second section deals with the
history of books and printed matter.
Six chapters discuss topics ranging
from a 15th-century French devotional
manuscript, Les Heures Lindsey-Leydet,
to a popular 20th-century Quebec
publisher, Éditions Marabout. e
publications of François-Xavier Laire,
a French librarian and bibliographer
(d. 1801), are concisely proled and
followed by three essays on Quebec’s
social and cultural life: (1) issues related
to the legal development of literary
property; (2) reprints by the Éditions
Marabout, especially the inexpensive
1950’s pocketbooks that popularized
Les Aventures de Tintin and Bob
Morane; and (3) the importance of Le
Dictionnaire de la censure au Québec
and L’Atlas littéraire du Québec, two
authoritative reference works.
A third section focuses on the
history of libraries and librarianship.
It begins with a paper on n de siècle
Parisian libraries viewed by the French
playwright, Ludovic Halévy
(d. 1908). A chapter on Léon-Pamphile
Le May (1837–1918) reviews his
directorship as the rst librarian of
Quebec’s Legislative Assembly. A
biography on Jeanne-Marguerite
Saint-Pierre (d. 2021) recognizes her
involvement in developing children’s
libraries. An illustrated entry on the
central library housed in the Université
de Montréal’s main 1940’s building
and its renowned architect, Ernest
Cormier, follows. A chapter in English
by ELA member Peter F. McNally,
studies the eorts of library directors
at McGill University from 1964 to
2010 to keep pace with evolving
professional practices and technology.
A nal section presents current
library issues and future challenges.
Guylaine Beaudry predicts sharing of
resources and services will continue to
drive decisions. Yvon-André Lacroix
discusses the use of library space,
with illustrations from the Brossard
municipal library. Daniel Marquis
describes two turbulent decades (2000–
2021) at the “bibliothèques collégiales”
for post-secondary students. Librarians,
such as myself, may be disappointed
that digital issues are not discussed
with greater emphasis in this section.
ere is much to interest readers
in this attractive volume concerning
the historical, contemporary, and
futuristic aspects of libraries in
Quebec and book history in general.
For photos of the April 2023 book
launch, see the ELA website.
n
11
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
e Librarian of Burned Books
By Brianna Labuskes
HarperCollins, 2023
Narrated by three women in three time
periods — Berlin 1933, Paris 1936, and
New York 1944 — this book was inspired
by the true story of the Council on Books
in Wartime.
Good Reads
By Judy Dunn
Judy Dunn retired in 2011 after six years
as Assistant Dean Academic, Faculty of
Information at U of T, and 15 years as Pro-
gram Co-ordinator, School of Information
Management at Dalhousie University.
e Little Wartime Library
By Kate ompson
Forever, 2023
is novel is based on the true story of a
librarian who turned London’s Bethnal
Green tube station into an underground
library, as well as a refuge, during the Sec-
ond World War.
e Librarianist: A Novel
By Patrick deWitt
House of Anansi Press, 2023
Poignant — and lled with quirky char-
acters and dark humour, as is typical of
deWitt — this is the life story of retired
librarian Bob Cosmos.
e War Librarian
By Addison Armstrong
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2022
is dual-timeline novel is based on the
true history of both the rst volunteer
librarians working during the First World
War and the rst class of women to attend
the United States Naval Academy in the
1960s.
Murder by Denition
By Con Lehane
Severn House, 2022
e fourth novel in the 42nd Street Library
Mystery series features Raymond Ambler,
crime-solving head of the New York Public
Library crime-ction collection.
Find a compilation of Good Reads on the ELA website.
Books by Members
Peter F. McNally, “Administrators and Scholars: Directors of Libraries at McGill University, 1964–2010.” Chapter 12, pages
247–264, Carol Couture et Éric Leroux, ed. Le Livre et la bibliothèque: la quête des savoirs et de la culture: Mélanges oerts à
Marcel Lajeunesse. Québec, Presses de l’Université du Québec, 2023.
See page 10 in this issue for a review of this book by Lorne Bruce.
For photos of the April 2023 book launch, see the ELA website.
12 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Before anyone preserved our
“Olfactory Heritage,” used scratch-
and sni-books, or developed a
perfume for library acionados, readers
appreciated the distinctive smell of the
vellum or paper, ink, and binding that
makes up a book. Christopher de Hamel
claims “there is a curious warm leathery
smell to English parchment, unlike the
sharper, cooler scent
of Italian skins”
(Armitstead). As for
printed books, in a
study of the subject
chemist Matija Strlič
and colleagues note
“the aroma of an
old book is familiar
to every user of a
traditional library.
A combination of
grassy notes with
a tang of acids and
a hint of vanilla
over an underlying
mustiness, this
unmistakable smell is
as much part of the
book as its contents.”
Sometimes a
particular book is
famous for its smell.
In an advance plan
for the exhibition Sensational Books,
the Bodleian Libraries showcased
some classic works partly through
their smells. For example, the odour
of Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio
combines those of maraschino cherries
and mouldy furniture. Provenance,
too, can aect aroma: there is still a
tang of pipe smoke in C. S. Lewis’s
books; books rescued from Boston’s
Great Molasses Flood of 1919 smell
of sugar; and those that survived
res following San Francisco’s 1906
earthquake smell of smoke (Charlton).
e technique of adding scent
to books through scratch-and-sni
panels (attaching microcapsules that
contain scent to paper that break when
scratched, releasing their aromas) was
invented by American Gale Matson
in the 1960s and originally used
in children’s books from 1970; 3M
eventually patented the technique in
1985. ese aromatic novelties became
extraordinarily popular, from Little
Golden Books to a scratch-and-sni
for pets (to see if your puppy likes
the scent of new foods) from e
Honest Kitchen pet food company
(Champagne). Scratch-and-sni books
for older readers range over various
topics and genres such as the Smelly
Old History book series that reminds
us of the stench of ancient cities or e
Scratch and Sni Book of Weed. One
intriguing title, e Essential Guide
to Becoming a Wine Expert: Take a
Whi of at, oers 16 sning circles,
ranging from the fruits in red and
white wines to a particular terroir.
e connection between olfactory
sensory enrichment and enhanced
learning has gained academic traction:
cognitive linguist, Ralf iede,
recommends the use of books that truly
stimulate olfactory senses, ranging
from Katherine Howard’s Little Bunny
Follows His Nose to Andrew Donkin’s
e Truly Tasteless Scratch and Sni
Book, which features “olfactory treats,”
such as sweaty feet, sour milk, putrid
sh, and smelly skunk. Librarian
Lawrence S. ompson went further,
asserting that reliance on facsimiles and
modern editions deprives the student
of an important experience, while “to
smell the mildly nauseating Soviet
book cloth, or to inhale the centuries
of rancid butter that permeate Tibetan
block books is to have a bit of another
age or culture rubbed o on you.”
Rigorous scientic research has been
applied to the analysis
of old book smells;
Strlič and colleagues
write “smell is as
much part of the
book as its contents.
It is a result of the
several hundred
identied volatile and
semivolatile organic
compounds (VOCs)
o-gassing from
paper and the object
in general” (Strlič
et al, 2009). One of
their initiatives is
the development of
an “historic book
odour wheel” for
general use; other
more exact methods
include using fans
on books in sealed
compartments,
from which chemists collect scent on
lter pads; these are treated to create
solutions that can be analyzed, described
and recreated. is and other forms
of collection allow smell preservation
as part of the cultural heritage record
— an emerging eld documented by
the likes of the Institute for Digital
Archaeology — and guides preservation
and conservation eorts, and new
creative endeavours based on smells.
Norwegian Sissel Tolaas innovatively
combines the science of the classication
of smell components with artistry and
librarianship. One of her projects is
the magazine issue Mono Kultur 23, in
which the paper is impregnated with 11
“dicult” scents reproduced chemically
from those of men, as well as one of
Tolaas’s own personal scent. e result is
On the Scents of Books
By Leslie McGrath
Continued on page 13
13
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
an extraordinary booklet that seems only
to have grown more pungent with time.
A frequent complaint about e-books
is that they lack the physicality of the
book. As shown in Professor David
Edwards’s experimental “o-book,” reading
devices can be engineered to emit pus
of chemically-reproduced aromas of the
food, atmosphere, or perfume described
in the text (Moon). e book’s genius
may lie in “reading” the reader’s progress
and creating anticipation, by
releasing clouds of olfactory
stimuli. We may not be
able to taste Proust’s lime-
blossom tea and madeleine,
but their aromas may
eventually be ours to enjoy!
For further reading,
check out the Historic Book
Odour Wheel at right that’s
designed for amateur book
sniers and experts alike.
Learn the chemistry behind
your books’ aromas!
Photo credit: British Library
Historic Book Odour Wheel, courtesy ofCreative Commons
4.0 International Licensehttps://heritagesciencejournal.
springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40494-016-0114-1
Bibliography
Bumbiri, C., Strlič, M. Smell of heri-
tage: a framework for the identica-
tion, analysis and archival of historic
odours. Herit Sci 5, 2 (2017).https://
doi.org/10.1186/s40494-016
-0114-1
Creative Commons 4.0 International
License (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Champagne, Christine. “It’s a Canine
Christmas with the Honest Kitchen’s
Scratch and Sni Book for Dogs.”
FastCompany. September 11, 2015.
Accessed July 6, 2023.
Charlton, J. (2020). “Ah, at Old-
Book Smell.” Information Today. 37
(5). A discussion of a planned exhibit
at the Bodleian Libraries, focused on
sensual qualities.
De Hamel, C., quoted in Armitstead,
C. (2017). “Can You Judge a Book
by Its Odour?” e Guardian.
Moon, Mariella. (2015). “Smell-o-
phone Creator Attaches Scents to
E-books and Songs.” Weblog post.
Engadget. April 17, 2015.
Palinkas, Stephen. (November 10,
2015). “Brand Flakes for Breakfast:
scratch and sni book for uy.” We-
blog post. Newstex Trade & Industry
Blogs, Chatham: Newstex.
Strlič, Matija, Jacob omas, Tanja
Trafela, et al. (2009). “Material
Degradomics: On the Smell of Old
Books,” University College London. A
scientic study of the chemical analy-
sis of the smells given o by books.
iede, R. (2019). “Synesthetic
Entrainment in Interactive Sessions
of Children’s Books.” CLA Quarterly
44 (4). A new examination of the
multimodality of children’s books,
381–400.
ompson, L. S. (1961). “Facsimiles
and the Antiquarian Trade.” Library
Trends 09 (4) Spring. A scholarly
discussion about the importance of
primary materials, 437–485.
Tolaas, Sissel. (2011). “Life is Every-
where.” Mono Kultur 23. Microen-
capsulation impregnates this maga-
zine’s paper with “dicult” smells.
Leslie McGrath worked at TPL as a
children’s librarian and a branch head for
10 years and Senior Department Head of
the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s
Books for 23 years. Her PhD thesis was
Service to Children in the Toronto Public
Library: A Case Study, 1912–1949.
n
...continued from page 12
14 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
On May 17, 2023, 16 ELA
members gathered online for
a virtual tour of the Stanley
A. Milner Library, EPL’s recently
renewed downtown, central branch.
CEO Pilar Martinez led the tour, with
Lisette Lalchan, executive assistant,
providing live video coverage via Zoom.
What an amazing revitalization and
renewal project — and an excellent
example of 21st-century public library
programs, services, and facilities. is
major three-and-a half-year renovation
ended with a September 17, 2020,
reopening. More than $18 million was
raised for the work, far surpassing
the original goal of $10 million.
Teeple Architects led the project,
transforming the original 1967
building’s Brutalist architecture into
an inviting, community-friendly,
accessible environment, opening up the
space, adding skylights and glazing, to
benet from natural light and create
welcoming views into the library.
With sustainability and LEED
certication as an overall goal, the
library now features a new energy-
ecient external building envelope,
highly ecient mechanical and
electrical systems, and low-emitting
materials, among other sustainability
initiatives, and was recognized with the
2021 International Federation of Library
Associations Green Library Award.
As Pilar explained, community
engagement was central to the
design process and informed
each program space.
More than doubled in size, the
popular Shelley Milner Children’s
Library — where language and literacy
learning are promoted — exhibits art
selected by children, a time capsule
enhanced with early-literacy features
to be opened in 2119, and several
play areas — with collections of age-
appropriate books, DVDs, and video
games — for kids of dierent ages.
ere’s a makerspace where emerging
technologies and hands-on science,
technology, engineering, art and math
activities (such as coding and robotics)
are oered. We were impressed
with new sound studios, video and
lm–production lab, 3-D printers,
sewing machines, fabrication tools
and equipment, and robotics … all
supported by sta. A gamerspace houses
gaming PCs, virtual reality, and mixed-
reality gaming platforms, and EPL
plans to collaborate with community
partners to facilitate learning and
literacy skills through gaming.
In the atrium, a two-storey
simulation wall features large-
scale interactive digital exhibits
that facilitate hands-on learning.
EPL collaborated with Queensland
University of Technology on this
incredible technology that is the largest
digital exhibit in North America. A
favourite digital display, Dino Zoo,
was on the screen during our tour.
PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN /
underbird House is EPL’s rst
dedicated Indigenous space, built for
ceremonies and gatherings. Indigenous
Elders helped develop the design
and artwork in accordance with Cree
philosophies. e wood paneling
recognizes the signicance of poplar
for the Plains Cree people. e oor
cushions resemble boulders. Cree-
language learning, ribbon-skirt making,
and smudging is oered, and the Elder-
in-residence is on site three days a week.
e kitchen (from cookies to
chemistry) is a new program space
that EPL opened in March of 2022, in
response to community requests and
A Virtual Tour of Stanley A. Milner Library, Edmonton Public Library
By Gladys Watson
Continued on page 15
15
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Photos of Stanley A. Milner Library
Photo credits: Courtesy Andrew Latreille, TEEPLE Architects.
after consultation with other public
libraries (such as the Free Library
of Philadelphia which has its own
kitchen). Fully equipped with the latest
equipment and tted stainless-steel
stations, it creates knowledge and
interest in food literacy and nutrition,
and teaches skills transferable to a home
kitchen. Classes are oered through
collaboration with a post-secondary
institution partner and some local chefs
on a cost-recovery-for-ingredients basis.
As we entered the stacks and
study areas, Pilar noted that the
physical library collection is still a
mainstay, with adjacent study space,
public computers, and computer
bars. ere is a designated space
for local-history collections and a
writer-in-residence program.
Other services include EPL’s three
social workers and key community
partners (who deliver preventative
outreach services), the innovator-in-
residence (who assists budding
entrepreneurs), and a seed library.
It’s all designed to respond to the
diversity of downtown residents.
Kudos to CEO Pilar Martinez
and the EPL team for leading this
stunning transformation — and
thanks to Vivienne James for co-
ordinating this fascinating tour.
Gladys Watson retired in 2017 as Director
of Libraries and Learning Resources
Centres at Centennial College.
n
CEO Pilar Martinez
...continued from page 14 British Columbia
News
By Guy Robertson
In June Vancouver PL
moved its West Point
Grey Branch to a new
location, a block away
on West 10th Avenue,
across from a site that
two large residential
towers will occupy. The old branch
had inadequate space and a leaky roof.
The new branch will offer more space,
better lighting, and less moisture.
Over the past year, the University
of Victoria Libraries made service
changes at the Mearns McPherson
Library (MML). On the main floor,
four enclosed Tek Booths with power
outlets and wireless Internet have
been installed. Intended for Zoom
classes and virtual meetings, these
also provide space for individual
study and research. MML also offers
a new service desk, more study
space, enhanced reference services,
and more access to librarians.
Vancouver Island Regional Library
(VIRL) prepared for extreme summer
temperatures by ensuring its branches
had reliable air conditioning. VIRL
invited patrons to visit and cool down
in a comfortable space, relaxing with
a book or chatting with friends. As
temperatures soared and the threat of
poor air quality increased, branches
attracted substantial numbers who
stayed longer than usual. VIRL
administrators suspect this will
become an ongoing summer trend.
In May the University of British
Columbia (UBC) David Lam
Management Research Library
announced space improvements and
Sauder School of Business–funded
upgrades to the AV equipment in
its Digital Media Lab and Sound
Recording Room, which now provides
access to four dual-screen Apple Mac
workstations that contain top-notch
video-, photo-, and audio-editing
software, and access to a high-quality
scanner and a video-capture station.
The UBC Rare Books and Special
Collections has partnered with
The Paper Trail project, which
16 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
commemorates the restrictive 1885
Chinese Immigration Act that imposed
a head tax on Chinese immigrants
and led to the outright exclusion of
Chinese immigrants from 1923 until
the act was repealed in 1947. Managed
by Catherine Clement, an historian
and curator based in Vancouver’s
Chinatown, the project works with the
largest digitized archive of Chinese-
immigration certificates issued by
the Dominion of Canada. Paper
Trail Archivist June Chow notes that
the archive has been made possible
by community members willing to
share their family histories and the
impact of the Chinese Immigration
Act on their lives. In July Clement
curated The Paper Trail to the 1923
Chinese Exclusion Act at the Chinese
Canadian Museum in Vancouver,
which commemorates the century
following the Chinese Immigration Act.
The development of Simon Fraser
University’s Indigenous Curriculum
Resource Centre (ICRC) began in
2020. Now open, it supports faculty-
member and course-designer efforts
to decolonize teaching materials. It
provides resources on colonization
effects, it demonstrates ways in
which libraries can decolonize their
offerings, and it provides tools,
including audio-visual kits — such
as the Salish Weave Box Sets that
include recordings of Indigenous
artists talking about their work. Ashley
Edwards, who is the ICRC librarian,
welcomes inquiries about effective
ways to revise curricula and change
attitudes toward Indigenous learning.
In July the Terrace PL (TPL)
offered summer reading programs
for patrons of all ages. Especially
popular with families, Journey
Through Time featured A Mystery
from History — a search for clues
to solve an intriguing historical
case. TPL partnered with Terrace’s
Heritage Park Museum to organize
the sleuthing, which entailed time
travel and lots of fascinating questions.
Prairies News
By Alvin M. Schrader
City of Winnipeg
Archives has been
allocated $12.6
million by the City of
Winnipeg to restore
its former quarters
in a Carnegie library
(one of Canada’s most-
endangered historic sites) and the
return of the records, with a target of
2026. Temporary warehouse quarters
were required after ooding heavily
damaged the Carnegie building in 2013.
e Manitoba Library Association
(MLA) released its Public Libraries
Intellectual Freedom and Anti-
Censorship Toolkit in May 2023.
Created in response to censorship and
defunding challenges in the South
Central Regional Library System
in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, the
Toolkit is designed to support public
libraries facing similar challenges, with
sources of information, resources,
and recommendations. MLA has
condemned attempts at censorship,
the false equivalence of 2SLGBTQIA+
materials selected for school libraries
with “pedophilia” and “grooming,” and
the discriminatory characterization
behind these calls for censorship. e
MLA release stated, “We consider
this an aront to our professional
values of intellectual freedom and
equity, diversity, and inclusion alike.”
e Saskatchewan Library
Association selected Five Little
Indians by author and lawyer Michelle
Good for the 2023 One Book One
Province Saskatchewan program. is
program aims to increase literacy and
create a reading culture by providing
opportunities for residents to become
more socially engaged through a shared
story. Good, of Cree ancestry and a
member of the Red Pheasant Cree
Nation, wrote the book after years of
frustration and outrage over Canadians’
ignorance about the residential school
system. Hybrid and on-site author
readings were held in six communities
in March and the program also included
libraries, book clubs, and individuals who
shared discussions about the book. Five
Little Indians has won numerous awards,
including the Governor General’s
Literary Award for Fiction, the Amazon
Canada First Novel Award, and the
Kobo Emerging Author Prize. Released
in April 2020, the book currently has
almost 250,000 copies in print.
Moose Jaw PL received a grant
from the Canadian Space Agency to
support a space theme — A Galactic
Adventure — for its Summer Reading
Club. Its underlying goal is to build
awareness around STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics). Granted funds support
new equipment for loan-out technology,
robotics, 3-D printing, and special
programing such as an astronaut talk
in September. e Summer Reading
Club launched in mid-June with events
including a movie, games, crafts,
treats, face painting, and more.
Regina PL will move its central
library services to a temporary location
in the next year, in response to concerns
with failing infrastructure and a risk
to service delivery in the 62-year-old
building that needs about $4 million
to repair roong and mechanical and
electrical systems to remain functional.
e board voted last year to build a
new downtown library in its present
location (see Spring 2023 ELAN).
Calgary PL engaged Chanry ach
as its rst inuencer-in-residence
from May 15 to July 31, 2023. Chanry
is a prominent Calgary food blogger
who runs her own marketing rm,
Ask for Chan, that helps brands build
communities, which are authentic to
them as persons or businesses, through
social media. She said, “If I can help a
small business that might not have a
budget to hire a social media manager,
to hire a marketing team to strategize
with the bigwigs on how to market
their business: at’s me. e library
has now given my skills up for free to
anybody who’s willing to come and tap
my brain on ‘how do I get my business
to the next level?’ You pretty much
get to hire a social media manager.”
Edmonton PL’s Senior Advisor of
Indigenous Relations, Emily Riddle,
is the 2023 Canadian First Book
Prize Winner – Grin Poetry Prize.
Emily is nêhiyaw and a member of
the Alexander First Nation in Treaty
Six Territory. Her debut poetry
17
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
collection, e Big Melt, showcases
the power of artistic expression and
the impact of poetry in our society.
Alvin M. Schrader is Professor Emeritus
at the University of Alberta, School
of Library & Information Studies.
Ontario News
By Vivienne James
How are post-secondary
institutions addressing
the use of AI in teaching
and learning? It’s an
important issue for
these times.McMaster
UniversityandHamilton PL hosted
high school teacher-librarians for
a discussion on AI, at a working
lunch atMills Memorial Library.
Ontario public and university
libraries continued to highlight
national celebrations with book
exhibits, author readings, and creative
programming. In June these included
National Indigenous History Month
and Pride celebrations. Summer
reading programs were also in
full swing, including book clubs,
competitions, and much more.
In July despite objections from the
community and Brampton PL CEO
Todd Kyle, Chinguacousy Library, “a
successful community for the last 50
years” was relocated to Chinguacousy
Ski Chalet,a much smaller facility, to
make way for Toronto Metropolitan U’s
new School of Medicine. Thelibrary is
working with the city to find a better
site to serve community needs.
Burlington PL highlighted
the launch of a brand-new local-
history platform called the
Burlington Digital Archive, with
its co-ordinator demonstrating the
platform’s many uses to attendees.
In June, after years of planning,
Guelph PL broke ground for its
newCentral Library,which will
support the city’s efforts to revitalize
the downtown and anchor the
Baker District Redevelopment
site. TheFriends of the Guelph
Public Library received this year’s
Arts award for their significant
contribution to promoting reading
and community engagement.
In July, at Markham PL’s (MPL)
Aaniin Library, the Markham mayor’s
Black Youth Liaison Committee
presented The Reading Circle,
which aims to promote literacy,
community trust, and Black youth
representation, for ages 5 to 12. In
May MPL celebrated the revitalized
Black Heritage Collection,Milliken
Mills Library, with itemscovering a
range of topics for children and adults,
as well as stories about the Black
community’s contributions to society.
Toronto PL’s ongoing commitment
to create community gathering
spaceswas realized with the official
opening of theYork Woods Branchat
Jane and Finch, in July.Extensive
renovations (Diamond Schmitt
Architects) have resulted in a beautiful,
large and modern multi-purpose
library with new and innovative
features, including a Youth Hub,
Digital Innovation Hub, Kidstop Early
Literacy Centre, and a wonderful
Musical Instrument Lending
Library.Housed in the TPL Reference
Library’s Baldwin Collection of
Canadiana, the Anderson Ruffin
Abbottarchive has been added to the
Canada Memory of the World Register,
a UNESCO program showcasing
the international documentary
heritage’s most significant
elements.Abbott (1837–1913) was
the first Canadian-born physician of
national and international fame.
FAN, a student-led organization
for studio art and art history,
has partnered with Archival
and Special Collections on the
Barbie Box Project, in the U of
Guelph McLaughlin Library.
This new initiative showcases
the program’s student work.
“Emancipated, but not free”was
the theme of this year’s Emancipation
Day event, organized by Western U’s
MLIS students and held atLondon
PL Central Branch.Professor Anton
Allahar gave a short, provocative,
talk reflecting on Canadian Black and
Indigenous people’s current realities.
Vivienne James worked at TPL for
more than 25 years, was Branch
Quebec News
By Pierre Guilmette and Peter F. McNally
The theme of the
May 26 2023, 90th
Annual Conference
of l’Association des
bibliothécaires du
Québec – Quebec
Library Association
(ABQLA) was Happy
Returns/Retrouvailles.
It was held at La
Grande bibliothèque/
Bibliothèque et archives
nationale du Québec.
S. Bear Bergman gave
the opening keynote
address, Justice of the Imagination,
and the Power of Celebration. The
closing keynote was a “franglais”
conversation between a drag queen,
Barbada, and a local bookstore
owner, Mathieu Lauzon-Dicso.
Amy Buckland, BA (Concordia,
’06) and MLIS (McGill, ’08), has
been appointed librarian, Concordia
University Library, for a five-
year term beginning September
15. She has held positions in the
libraries of McGill, U of Chicago,
and U of Guelph. Most recently,
she directed Library and Archives
Canada’s participation in the
National Indigenous Knowledge
and Language Alliance.
The ABQLA Anne Galler Award
for outstanding contributions to
Quebec librarianship went to Joan
Harrison, Sacred Heart School
of Montreal. The Professional
Development Award went to Marco
de Petrillo, OmnibiblioPLUS.
Sabrina MacGregor, Université de
Montréal, received the Anne Hébert
Award for student scholarship. Ada
Bierling, McGill, also received a
Student Scholarship Award. Kristen
Goodall and Nicholas Lobraico were
Head of Queen Saulter, St. Lawrence
and Spadina Rd. Libraries and was
responsible foradult-collection
development for the Black and
Caribbean Heritage Collection
(Parkdale) until retiring.
18 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
The Nova Scotia
Community College
(NSCC) Libraries and
Learning Commons
is finalizing the
adaptation of a College
101 open textbook to
support students in
their academic success and transition
to the post-secondary environment.
The resource has been adapted from
University 101: Study, Strategize and
Succeed open textbook, originally
developed by Kwantlen Polytechnic
University. Despite the importance
of equal access to education via open
educational resources, Maritimes
governments continue to pass on
budget funding. Follow the growth of
the library initiative at AtlanticOER.
The University of King’s College
Archives were given Sylvia Hamilton’s
papers, related to her time teaching
with the King’s School of Journalism.
Born in Nova Scotia, Hamilton is a
filmmaker, writer, artist, and activist,
and now Inglis Professor at King’s.
Known for many works including
The Little Black Schoolhouse —
her documentary about racially
segregated schools in Canada —
she is also a keynote speaker at
the Universities Studying Slavery
conference this fall. The finding
aids created with fonds details will
soon be uploaded to MemoryNS.
The Robertson Library at
University of Prince Edward Island,
in partnership with the PEI Museum
& Heritage Foundation, has loaded the
2008–2019 issues of Island Magazine,
now accessible through the growing
Island Archives web portal.
All Prince Edward Island Public
Library branches partnered with the
Maritimes News
By Tanja Harrison
Museum and Heritage Foundation
this summer to offer Discover PEI:
Heritage Passes, giving free admission
for each family to seven different
heritage sites in the province.
Once again, the PEI Public
Library Service offers another
innovation, with patrons now able to
take home a Kobo Libra 2 eReader
for browsing and downloading their
growing collection of e-books.
Little-known, but growing,
provincial library offerings in
French are available online. Services,
programming, and materials also
exist at three francophone library
branches — Abram-Village PL in
Wellington, Dr. J. Edmond-Arsenault
PL in Charlottetown, and J. Henri-
Blanchard PL in Summerside.
New Brunswick’s 63 PLs have
joined those in sister provinces, Nova
Scotia and Prince Edward Island, to
stock their branches with free period
products. New Brunswick’s Women’s
Equality Minister Sherry Wilson says
the products will be included in the
libraries’ future operating budgets.
The recent publication of Universities
on Fire, by Georgetown U futurist
Bryan Alexander, sparked an opinion
piece by Donald Wright, University
of New Brunswick (UNB) political
science professor, in the June 6 issue
of University Affairs. In the piece, he
considers university-building names,
including UNB’s Harriet Irving
Library, and writes, “in a climate
crisis, can the intellectual centre
of a university be named after the
matriarch of an oil and gas family?”
Numerous campuses and institutions
have renamed their buildings when
they pay tribute to controversial
figures. UNB student advocates may
prevail, but, regardless, there’s no
better place than a library to have
these important conversations.
Acadia University Dean of Libraries
and Archives Heather Saunders is
on leave; Jennifer Richard has been
appointed acting dean, until January
31, 2024. Former university librarian at
Mount Saint Vincent University, Tanja
Harrison, is on administrative leave,
with Denyse Rodrigues appointed
interim university librarian, until
December 31, 2023. Allie Fulford was
The Newfoundland
and Labrador Public
Libraries (NLPL)
have implemented
NLPL Connect Pass,
a booking portal to
a variety of cultural
and recreational sites
across the province. The program is
based on the ePass software in use
at New York PL, offering users free
family passes to participating partner
organizations. It is also similar to a
program (MAP Pass) operated by
Toronto PL, but offers print-it-yourself
passes and includes a wider variety of
venues including sports teams (such as
Growlers Hockey, and Newfoundland
Rogues Basketball), outdoor recreation
venues (such as Nordic ski clubs and
provincial parks), several theatre
companies, and Newfoundland
Symphony Orchestra concerts, as well
as museums and art galleries. In its
first week of operation, the program
generated 1,400 new library cards.
In addition to general access, the
program offers a progressive social
policy aspect, given that NLPL’s
Connect Pass provides larger numbers
of passes and special privileges
(for borrowing library materials
and using library facilities) for
organizations that provide services
supporting newcomers, youth at
risk, Indigenous communities,
Newfoundland &
Labrador News
By Dick Ellis
appointed acting associate dean of
Resources and head, Sexton Design
and Technology Library, Dalhousie,
until February 29, 2024. Mark Lewis
is the new chief law librarian at
the Sir James Dunn Law Library,
Dalhousie, effective July 1, 2023.
Greg Hayward is the newest Nova
Scotia Community College Pictou
Campus librarian, and Chris Sheehy
has moved into a term position as
the Lunenburg Campus librarian.
Tanja Harrison is University Librarian
at Mount Saint Vincent University.
elected dual association presidents.
Pierre Guilmette is a retired
librarian, Université Laval.
Peter F. McNally is Professor
Emeritus at McGill University,
School of Information Studies.
19
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
and other potential participants
who might be facing structural
barriers to accessing the program.
Dick Ellis is Librarian Emeritus
at Memorial University.
Whitehorse PL
weathered a challenge
to a book described
by some as “blatantly
transphobic;” the
title remains on the
shelf, but the staff
selection process has
been refined. The library hosted
Eliza Robertson, Berton House
author-in-residence, to share her
exploration (with Myles Dolphin)
into an unresolved Yukon murder
case from the early 1990s,
I Got a Name: The Murder of Kyrstal
Senyk. In July Whitehorse PL reduced
public hours and suspended children’s
programs, due to staffing challenges.
Concurrently, Yukon PLs moved
to a new ILS, offering enhanced
features to library users throughout
the territory. The CBC Kids Book
Club went live at Whitehorse PL,
in May, and featured two Yukon
books: Shëtsey (My Grandpa) by
Georgette McLeod and The Yukon
Alphabet Book by Tedd Tucker.
In collaboration with CBC North,
Yellowknife PL offered introductory
journalism sessions to youth.
The Iqaluit Centennial Library
assisted the community by closing
one day in May to host a Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women and
Girls public event. Children’s throat-
singing lessons returned to the library.
Festivals are back! In early June
the NorthWords Writers Festival
took place in Yellowknife. Children’s
Book Week was celebrated using
a hybrid format to reach children
across the North — in person and
virtually. The Yukon Writers’
Festival returned in early May,
with a roster of touring authors.
News from the
North
By Julie Ourom News from Canadian
Library/Information
Studies Schools
Compiled by Judy Dunn
University of Alberta,
School of Library
and Information
Studies (SLIS)
By Kenneth Gariepy
SLIS extends
warmest
congratulations to
the 52 MLIS graduates of 2022,
who convocated on June 15, 2023.
During the June 15th ceremony,
in the Northern Alberta Jubilee
Auditorium, Dean of Education
Dr. Jennifer Tupper presented
family entertainer Fred Penner
with an honourary Doctor of
Letters. To everyone’s delight,
he performed several of his best-
known songs including “The Cat
Came Back.” On July 1 esteemed
SLIS faculty member Dr. Ali Shiri
was reappointed as Faculty of
Graduate Studies and Research
Vice-Dean for another term, and
SLIS began the next chapter of
its three decade–long history as
one of its administrative units
within the Faculty of Education.
The other units are the Aboriginal
Teacher Education Program, the
English Language School, and
the Professional Learning Unit.
University of British Columbia
iSchool, Library, Archival and
Information Studies (SLAIS)
By Guy Robertson
Three recent graduates —
Emma Metcalfe Hurst, Charlotte
Leonard, and Claire Asquith
Finnegan — have received a City
of Vancouver Award for Living
Heritage for their creation of an oral
history and community archives
project, Coming out of Chaos: A
Vancouver Dance Story. From June
to August, the UBC Workplace
Sustainability department and
the iSchool hosted the School
of Information Great Canadian
Beach & Park Cleanup, during
which SLAIS and local community
volunteers collected trash in public
spaces, including those near the
university, with prizes given to
those who collected the most.
Visiting Associate Professor of
Teaching, Dr. Olivier St. Cyr, who
is researching tipping trends, has
noted a trend of higher tipping
percentages in restaurants and other
businesses when using tablets and
other devices, as well as a backlash.
Reasons for these trends include
the COVID-19 pandemic and
the Hawthorne Effect (behaviour
modification when being watched).
Western University,
Faculty of Information and
Media Studies (FIMS)
By Becky Blue
FIMS was thrilled to host
Western’s first Bibliometrics and
Research Impact Summer School
for African academic librarians.
Thirteen participants from across
Africa visited the campus, from
June 26 to 29, to attend classes led
by facilitators from Western and
other universities. The librarians
also toured a number of libraries
within the Western Libraries and
the London Public Library systems,
and interacted with current
MLIS students. FIMS Professor
Isola Ajiferuke conceived and
organized this faculty-funded
summer school. This fall FIMS
welcomed new LIS faculty member
Shengnan Yang, who joined us
after completing her doctoral
studies at the Indiana University’s
Luddy School of Informatics,
Computing and Engineering. Yang
brings expertise in ICTs, digital
civil society, and (mis)information
policy. Welcome Professor Yang!
NWT Centennial Library in
Hay River offered Beach Books
Storytime, joining kids at the beach
each week to enjoy summer together.
Julie Ourom was Director, Yukon
Public Libraries (1990–2014). She
previously worked at public libraries
in B.C. (including Kitimat and
Richmond) and in Moose Jaw, Sask.
20 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
University of Toronto, Faculty
of Information (FI, iSchool)
By Ann Brocklehurst
Dr. Javed Mostafa, an expert in
information science (particularly
information-retrieval problems) has
been hired as full professor and FI
dean, for a five-year term starting
this September. Dr. Mostafa comes
to us from the University of North
Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill
where he served as a professor and
the director of an interdisciplinary
informatics training program called
the Carolina Health Informatics
Program (CHIP), that oversaw
collaboration among seven UNC
academic units. FI also welcomes
seven new professors: Nada
Almasri, Associate Professor,
Teaching Stream (CLTA) –
Information Systems; Maher
Elshakankiri, Assistant Professor,
Teaching Stream – Information
Systems; Maggie Hutcheson,
Assistant Professor, Teaching
Stream – Museum Studies; Vera
Khovanskaya, Assistant Professor
– User Experience Design/
Human-Computer Interaction;
Velian Pandeliev, Assistant
Professor, Teaching Stream – User
Experience Design; Silvia Vong,
Assistant Professor, Teaching
Stream – Library and Information
Science; and Tao Wang, Assistant
Professor, Teaching Stream
(CLTA) – Information Systems.
University of Ottawa, School
of Information Studies
By André Vellino
Last fall we welcomed our largest
cohort of new students on campus
to in-person instruction. This fall
we are again expecting a record
number of incoming students.
Post-pandemic, more students are
inquiring about both our diploma
and master’s programs, as they
look for educational credentials
to help them effectively transition
to meaningful careers and full-
time employment. In one of our
newest collaborative teaching
partnerships with the National
Arts Centre (NAC) archival staff,
students conducted original
source–based research, reflecting
critically on the sources collected
in the archives, the productions
staged, and the policy impact
on decisions made over NAC’s
history.Professor Mary Cavanagh
has concluded her three-year term
as the school chair. Dr. André
Vellino has been appointed as her
successor, effective July 1, 2023.
McGill University, School
of Information Studies
By Peter F. McNally
Following completion of a six-
month sabbatical, professor Joan
Bartlett was appointed director,
with a three-year term, effective July
1, 2023. With a BSc, MLS, and PhD
from U of T, she joined the school’s
faculty in 2004. Her research
areas are bioinformatics and
biomedical information, information
interaction, information literacy, and
information seeking and use. Funded
by a Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council Insight Grant,
her current project isMetaliteracy
for well-being: Design criteria for
information systems. Professor
Kimiz Dalkir, who served as
director from 2016 to 2023, is
embarking on a one-year sabbatical.
Université de Montreal, École
de bibliothéconomie et des
sciences de l’information (EBSI)
By Isabelle Bourgey and
Martin Bélanger
A UNESCO Chair in Open
Science has been created to promote
the accessibility of research results
to the general public.Vincent
Larivière, EBSI full professor, will
direct this chair, which aims to
extend UNESCO’s efforts in favour
of open science. On June 1, 2023,
we were very pleased to welcome
Annaëlle Winand as an adjunct
professor. Her current research
interests focus on the archival
unconceived, and alternative
and community archives. We
are delighted to announce the
reappointment of full professor
Lyne Da Sylva as director for a
four-year term, from June 1, 2023,
To save
space
ELAN will include only awards
and appointments of national
importance and high relevance to
our members. Look for these in the
news sections.
A Canadian awards page is now
available on ELA’s website at
exlibris.ca/doku.
php?id=award:list_
of_canadian_library_awards.
to May 31, 2027. Spring is also the
time for the job-placement survey
for master’s degree in information
sciences graduates. Once again
this year, the figures are very good,
with 91.3 percent of respondents
employed at survey time.
Dalhousie University, Faculty
of Management, Department
of Information Science
By Sandra Toze
As of July 1, 2023, the Faculty of
Management has a new structure.
The programs we offer, including
our Master of Information (MI), the
scholarship and research of faculty
and students, and the connection
to our community, is not changing.
Our alumni continue to be integral
to who we are and what we do;
many have provided support during
the restructure consultations, and
we thank them for their input.
Instead of schools, we will be
organized into eight departments
to facilitate greater access for our
students to courses and faculty,
support interdisciplinary work, and
be more collaborative in program
delivery. We look forward to our
next generation of students and
scholarship, and will continue to
celebrate the people, research,
and accomplishments that have
contributed to who we are now. If
you have questions, please reach out
to me (stoze@dal.ca). We wish to
congratulate Drs. Sandra Toze and
Philippe Mongeon, who have been
awarded tenure and promotion.
21
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Barbara Ruth Charlotte Adams died
June 19, 2023, age 49, in London, ON.
MLIS (UBC, ’01). She was a children’s
librarian at Vancouver PL then, from
2002, at Toronto PL. In 2005 she moved
to London PL as a children’s librarian
at the Sherwood and Landon branches,
becoming branch supervisor at East
London branch until 2020.
Dixie Lynn Alkier died June 19, 2023, age
76, in Waterloo, ON. MLS (McGill). She
worked for many years as a librarian.
Joan Elaine Andersen died Nov 9, 2022,
age 73, in Vancouver. MLS (UBC). She
had a career as a CBC journalist and sat
on Vancouver PL’s Board (1978–1983)
and became board chair (2003–2010).
Fr. Gordon Alva Bean died May 3, 2023,
age 93, in ornhill, ON. He served
the parishes of St. Brigid (Toronto)
and St. Margaret (Midland), before his
appointment as librarian at St. Augustine’s
Seminary. Later he pursued teaching and
academic administration at the former
Ryerson U.
Lois M. Bewley (née Crook) died August 28,
age 97, in Vancouver. BLS (U of T, ’49)
MSLS (U of Illinois, ’66). She joined the
UBC library faculty in 1969, staying until
retirement. She was a strong advocate
of free public library service in Canada
and the legislation to make it possible,
and a defender of intellectual freedom.
A recipient of many awards, she was
president of BCLA and CLA, and was also
an ELA member. For more detail about
Lois, see the ELA website.
Jean-Rémi Brault died April 30, 2023, age 96,
in Cowansville, QC. U Montreal (’69). A
leading gure in Quebec librarianship, he
was director of the Bibliothèque national
du Québec (1974–1985).
Carol Maureen Burnham-Cook died
June 11, 2023, age 80, in Toronto. U of T,
U of A. She was a health librarian with
Willow Breast Cancer Support, retiring in
2006, and active in THLA.
Norma Elizabeth Burns died June 7, 2023,
age 98, in Kingston, ON.Her employment
at the university library was the start of
her lifelong interest in library work. She
received her degree in Library Science (U
of Ottawa), while raising four children,
and enjoyed a long career as a research
librarian.
Margaret Cockshutt died July 9, 2023,
age 96, in Toronto.BLS (U of T, ’49),
MLS (U of T, ’64). Professor Emerita
Cockshutt was librarian and cataloguing
instructor at U of T, School of Library
Science (1949–1964), taught full-time,
and active in the faculty administration
(1984–1987), including as associate dean,
retiring in 1992. She was a longtime ELA
member. For a personal tribute, see the
ELA website.
Bryan Eldon Corbett died April 1,
2023, age 75, in Edmonton. BA, history
(U of Saskatchewan, ’69), Certicate in
Archives Administration and Practice
(’70) through a joint program at Carleton
U and Public Archives of Canada (PAC),
MA (Carleton, ’73). He began his career
with PAC and nished it with U of
Alberta as chief archivist, retiring in 2013.
Bryan was an Association of Canadian
Archivists founding member, serving as
secretary and president and making many
contributions to the archival community:
Archives Society of Alberta, Edmonton
Chapter of ARMA, Society of American
Archivists Education Committee, ACA
representative to the UNESCO Canadian
Commission, and International Council of
Archives executive member.
Barb Dean died April 28, 2023, age 76, in
Prince George, BC. MLS (UBC). She was
a well-known children’s librarian at Prince
George PL for 30-plus years.
Shirley-Ann Desrosiers died May
26, 2023, age 76, in Kelowna, BC. She
began her career in the British Columbia
Provincial Archives and continued
as a provincial librarian in the BC
Ministries of Lands, Parks and Housing;
Environment; and Parks, where she built
Milestones Milestones
Obituaries
Compiled by Frances Davidson-
Arnott and Bob Henderson
a small collection of journals and books
into a vast, well-staed resource used
by professionals, province- and Canada-
wide.
Nancy Lorraine Edmonds died April 2,
2023, age 87, in Brockville, ON. MLS
(McGill, ’84). After working and travelling
abroad, she and her husband started an
antiquarian book business in Morrisburg,
ON.
Susan Everall died June 2, 2023. She
worked for more than 30 years at
Vancouver PL, beginning as a librarian in
1980, working at various branch libraries,
eventually becoming a neighbourhood
service manager.
Lise Fortier died June 2, 2023, age 47, in
Saskatoon. MLIS (Dalhousie). She worked
at Saskatoon PL for more than 25 years.
Edward Joseph Hanus died July 7,
2022, age 97, in Charlottetown. He was
a librarian at UPEI (1969–1994) until
retirement.
Justin Sainte (né Taras Haraschuk)
died March 29, 2023, age 74, in Michigan.
MLS (U of T, ’75). He was chief librarian
at King City PL and, later, Midland PL.
He was Ontario Library Association’s
Librarian of the Year in 1991.
Sheila Erin Hathorn died March 21,
2023, age 79, in Toronto. LIT (Seneca,
’98). She worked at the Great Library at
Osgoode Hall, then for the Provincial
Legislature at Queen’s Park. While
working full-time, she went to college
to earn a Library and Information
Technician diploma.
John Brian Henley died August 14,
2023, age 75, in Hamilton, ON. He joined
Hamilton PL in 1973 and later led its
Special Collections for many years. An
archivist, author and Spectator columnist,
he hosted a spot on CHCH News, all
focusing on Hamilton history.
Kaye Kishibe died April 28, 2023, age 85,
in Toronto. He was a librarian, then head
of Technical Services at Toronto PL.
Régis Lessard died May 15, 2023, age 101,
in Quebec City. L’Université de Montréal,
library science (’66). He retired from
l’Université Laval in 1989.
22 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Obituaries are brief, due to space
constraints. You can access a
published obituary for each person by
visiting the online issue of ELAN, then
clicking on the name (shown in green).
e ELA website, exlibris.ca/doku.
php?id=history:memories-and-
tributes, provides more information
celebrating the lives of our members.
Retirements
Compiled by
Suzette Giles
Cathy Chisholm, Cape Breton U’s
liaison librarian (since 1997) for the
School of Education and Health and
School of Nursing, retired May 31, 2023.
She holds a BA (St. Francis Xavier U)
and an MLIS (Western).
June Hicks, assistant head, Access
Services at the Ralph Pickard Bell
Library, Mount Allison U Libraries and
Archives, Sackville, NB, retired from the
library on July 2023, after nearly 25 years.
retirement. He founded and became the
rst chairperson of the Association of
Small Public Libraries of Ontario (1980)
and served on many area and provincial
library committees. He was an active ELA
member and contributor to ELAN. See
ELA’s website for tributes.
Lillian Simpson (Leah Katz) died
June 26, 2023, age 92, in Victoria. She
earned an Honours degree in English
and Religion, and studied librarianship
(Concordia).
Christine Maria Sochocky died June 12,
2023, age 84, in Toronto. PhD, Library
Sciences (U of Pittsburgh), with a
dissertation on the impact of Glasnost
on Soviet librarianship. She returned to
Montreal and, later, Toronto, where she
was involved in the St. Nicholas Ukrainian
Catholic Church parish library.
Hazel Starling died August 2, 2023,
age 96, in Vancouver. After graduating
from UBC in Education and later in
Librarianship, Hazel spent more than 30
years as a teacher and librarian.
Jennifer Ellen Stephen died April 28,
2023, age 44. MLIS (Western). She worked
at Vaughan PL for many years and,
recently, became director of Customer
Experience at Oakville PL.
Ellen Tom died April 26, 2023, age 82,
in Burlington, ON. Library Science (U of
T). She was head of Technical Services,
U of Guelph Library, for 34 years and
instrumental in the transition of extensive
library data to computer.
Dr. KathleenToomey died July 27,
2023,age 86, in Montreal. MLS and
MA (McGill, ’67 and ’85); PhD, History
(Edinburgh). She was the music librarian,
McGill’s Marvin Duchow Music Library
(1967–1985) and, later, a history
bibliographer at McGill’s Humanities
and Social Sciences Library, contributing
within professional organizations. She
was Librarian Emerita from 2009.
DorisW. E.TrutediedJanuary7,2023.
BLS (McGill ’64). She was a librarian with
the Protestant School Board of Greater
Montreal.
Helena Vesely died July 18, 2023, age 76,
in Ottawa. MLS (Western). She studied
Library and Information at the prestigious
Charles University, Prague, in the mid-
sixties.
Reuben Waredied August 13, 2023, in
Vancouver. An archivist beginning in the
1970s with the then Provincial Archives
of BC, he made his mark as director
of Records Management, leading early
development of BC’s Administrative
Records Classication System. His career
took him to NS, Harvard U, and the
City of Vancouver, until his retirement
in 2007.For more information on his
impressive career, see:https://www.
proquest.com/openview/a2385091
01d80928f1d595e59f00b44a/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=28071.
Dr. George “Qingzhi” Zhao diedAugust
20, 2023, age 63, in Toronto.He was
the Chinese Original Cataloguer and
Reference Specialistat theCheng Yu Tung
East Asian Library, U of T, for 22 years,
and contributed to two of the library’s
signicant publications.
Kathleen Makepeace died February 26,
2023, age 94, in Kingston, ON. Degrees in
Home Economics and Library Science
(U of Manitoba). She worked in private
and public libraries in Winnipeg, Toronto,
and Great Britain. Later, she worked part-
time at the Douglas Library reference
desk (Queen’s) and at Kingston PL.
Helen Elizabeth McCuaig died April 30,
2023, age 100, in Ottawa. MLIS (Western).
She rst worked as a secretary in
Vancouver for ICAO and Douglas Paper
and, then, at External Aairs, with
postings in Caracas, Dublin, Stockholm,
and Saigon. In 1965 she left External
Aairs, earned a BA (Carleton) and
an MLS. Her last job was librarian at
Environment Canada.
Mary “Katherine” McKenney died
May 3, 2023, age 83, in Calgary. BA
(McMaster). Katherine was a homemaker
before going back to school to become
a librarian, becoming a legal librarian at
Bishop & McKenzie LLP, until retirement.
Dallas Mclean-Lowe died May 10, 2023,
age 75, in Mississauga, ON. BA, MLS
(U of T). She worked at U of T Erindale
College for 27 years, as the librarian
archivist.
Elizabeth Mitchell died July 17, 2023,
age 77, in Belleville, ON. Elizabeth
spent her working life as an information
services librarian at the Belleville PL.
Margaret Elizabeth Newall, OC, died
July 8, 2023, age 86, in Toronto. She was a
teacher, a serious reader, and a respected
and decorated volunteer, also helping to
build Roxboro’s rst PL in Montreal.
Madeleine Ollivier died Sept 7, 2022,
age 90, in Gatineau, QC. Library Science
(McGill). She worked as a librarian at
Ottawa PL for many years.
Helen Frances Rogers diedAugust 15,
2023, age 96, in Ottawa.Library science
degree (McGill,’64). She worked at the
NRC and the predecessors of Library and
Archives Canada, and was SDI division
chief at retirement.
Matthew Scholtz died June 19, 2023,
age 77, in Tillsonburg, ON. MLS
(Western, ’70). He was chief librarian of
the Tillsonburg PL (1970–2010) until
23
ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
Helen Kelly, CEO of Cambridge (ON)
Idea Exchange (formerly Cambridge
Libraries and Galleries) since 2014,
retired in early 2023. In 2009 Kelly came
to the Idea Exchange as co-ordinator of
Children’s Services. Her career began at
Brantford PL, followed by more than 20
years at Hamilton PL, where she received
the 2008 Hamilton ABEA Individual
Early Literacy Education Award. In 2012,
while she was co-ordinator of Children’s
Services, the Idea Exchange was awarded
the TD Summer Reading Club Library
Award. Chrissy Hodgins is the new Idea
Exchange CEO.
Carol Laguë, Chef de service/ head
librarian of Gatineau PL in Quebec,
for 20 years, she retired on April 14,
2023. Carole served as Canadian Urban
Libraries Council vice-chair (2008–
2010), chair (2010–2012), and past-chair
(2012–2014).
Trish LeBlanc, Annapolis Valley
Campus librarian, Nova Scotia
Community College, retired in early June
2023, after nearly 14 years. Following a
BSc, Geology (St. Mary’s U) and an MLIS
(Dalhousie, ’92), she joined Innovacorp
in 1993. She was an information
specialist at the National Research
Council (2001–2009), Institute of Ocean
Technology, St John’s. Chelsea Heighton
is the new campus librarian.
Ann Matthewman, chief Shulich Law
librarian (from 2010), and Dalhousie
U Libraries associate dean of Learning
and Teaching (from 2014), retired on
June 30, 2023. She was a 2022 American
Association of Law Libraries Hall of
Fame Award recipient. Following a BA
(Hons., U of Windsor, ’78), she received
an MLS (Western, ’79) and an MA (U
of Windsor, ’85). She held positions at
the Essex Law Association, Windsor,
Chatham PL, and as library manager/
executive director, Toronto Lawyers’
Association, before joining Dalhousie
U Libraries. She has held a number
positions at American Association of
Law Libraries, as president, Canadian
Association of Law Libraries (2007–
2009), member, EBSCO Legal Services
Advisory Board (2013–present), and at
LLMC Digital (2014–present). Mark
Lewis has been appointed as the new
chief law librarian.
Cynthia (Cindy) McKenna retired from
the Robertson Library (U of PEI), after
almost 35 years in the Instructional
Services Unit.
Pam Medland, Airdrie PL director,
in Alberta, retired at the end of June
2023, after a 35-year career in public
libraries. Following a BA in English
(Simon Fraser U) and an MLA and
MLIS (U of T), her rst position was at
Hamilton PL, followed by positions in
British Columbia’s Kitimat, Vancouver
Island and Kelowna PLs, then Calgary
PL, before coming to Airdrie, seven
years ago. Kelly Lauzon is acting library
director/operations manager.
ree longtime librarians of Ontario’s
North Hastings PL retired in 2023.
Kim McMunn, who was the CEO/head
librarian (2018–present), retired on
June 26. McMunn began her Ontario
library career in 1997, as Carlow Mayo
PL head, before becoming CEO/head
librarian at Bancroft PL (2001–2011),
Hastings Highlands PL (2011–2017),
and North Hastings PL. She noted that,
while technology has been the biggest
change through the years, the provincial
funding model hasn’t changed in more
than 25 years. Debbie Dailey is the new
CEO/head librarian. Beverly Creighton,
librarian/interlibrary loan ocer retired
in August, after 30 years with the library.
After 22 years, Shirley McRandall,
assistant librarian, will retire at the end
of 2023.
Kitty Pope, Ontario’s Windsor PL,
retired as CEO in April 2023. Dana
Paladino, the city’s acting director of
human resources, is acting CEO.
Meg Raven retired on June 30, 2023, as
collections librarian after 31 years with
Mount Saint Vincent University Library,
Halifax, and has been awarded the
designation of librarian emerita. Nicole
Slipp is the new collections librarian.
Dr. Sabrina Saunders, CEO of the Town
of the Blue Mountains PL (BMPL), a
GLAM, in ornbury, ON, announced
her retirement in the summer of 2023,
but is continuing until a successor is
found. She joined BMPL in 2017 after 10
years as the CEO of the Six Nations PL,
Ohsweken, ON. She has several degrees
from Bualo State U, NY and in 2011
she completed her PhD from OISE – U
of T in eory & Policy Studies. An
Ontario-certied elementary teacher,
an MLIS graduate (Western ’18), and a
graduate of the Advancing Public Library
Leadership Certicate through Ontario
Library Service and the U of Waterloo,
she is vice-chair of both the Ontario
Public Library Guidelines Accreditation
and Monitoring Council and the
Federation of Ontario Public Libraries
board, and was the 2022 Ontario Library
Association president.
Sharon Seward the longest serving sta
member at British Columbia’s Kimberley
PL, retired at the end of April 2023, after
37 years.
Jan Smith, Palliser Regional Library
director (2001–2022) in Saskatchewan,
retired at the end of 2022. Smith began
with Palliser in 1999, and was director
since 2001. She received the 2022
Frances Morrison Award, given by the
Saskatchewan Library Association for
her outstanding service.
Sarah Stevenson, Dalhousie U Libraries,
will retire in February 2024. A U of
New Brunswick graduate with a BSc,
Chemistry (’90), she received an MLIS
(Dalhousie, ’01), joining the library as
physical sciences librarian that year.
Associate dean of Archives, Record
Management and Special Collections
(February 2022–July 2023), she remained
head of Killam Memorial Library
since 2016. Sarah will be taking some
administrative leave until her retirement
next year. Elaine MacInnis is acting head,
Killam Library.
Patricia (Pat) Townsend, archivist at
Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia U,
in Wolfville, N.S., retired in June 2023.
At Acadia for 50 years, most recently
as archivist for the Esther Clark Wright
Archives and Atlantic Baptist Archives,
and as head of Special Collections, she
continues as Archivist Emerita. Wendy
Robicheau is the new archivist.
Suzette Giles held a number of dierent
positions at Ryerson University Library
from 1975 to 2010, and was the Data
Librarian at retirement.
24 ELANELAN Number 74/Fall 2023
ELANELAN
Deadline for next issue:
April 1, 2024
Send contributions, corrections and
suggestions to:
Frances Davidson-Arnott
Frances.Davidson-Arnott@
SenecaRetirees.ca
ELAN reserves the right to edit
contributions. We use Canadian
Press style and the Canadian Oxford
Dictionary.
Electronic versions of ELAN are
available at exlibris.ca/doku.
php?id=elan:newsletter-list.
Visit ELA’s Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/
ExLibrisAssociation) for ELA news
and current activities, and for library
news.
ELAN Indexing
e current index can be found at:
exlibris.ca/lib/exe/fetch.php?medi
a=wiki:newsletters:master_index_
to_elan_all_issues_to_59.pdf.
ELA acknowledges with thanks
the support of the Ontario Library
Association and Faculty of
Information at University of Toronto
ELA is a member of CFLA-FCAB.
Number 74/Fall 2023
ISSN 1709-1179
Published twice a year by:
Ex Libris Association
c/o Bob Henderson,
Treasurer and Membership
Secretary
66 Walkerton Drive
Markham ON L3P 1H8 or
bob.exlibris@gmail.com
www.exlibris.ca
Newsletter Committee:
Frances Davidson-Arnott (Chair),
Judy Dunn, Suzette Giles, Susan
Ibbetson, Vivienne James, Leslie
McGrath, Wendy Newman, Jean
Weihs
Editor: Jo Calvert
Production: Laurel McLeod
Ontario Library Association
ELA Indigenous-Student Bursary
By Deb Thomas
News of the ELA bursary is out there
in the library world! E-mails were
sent to all programs of library and
archival studies in Canada. Bookmarks
and flyers have been made available
at in-person conferences. News of
the bursary has been distributed to
members of CFLA and provincial
associations and promoted on our
website and Facebook page.
We are pleased to report that, thanks
to member donations and a generous
$500 donation from Library Bound,
we reached our fundraising goal of
$2800 ($2500 bursary, $300 admin
fees for Indspire) for the 2023 bursary
this spring. We are contacting various
corporations that provide services
or materials to libraries in hopes of
finding another corporate sponsor (or
two) for 2024.
Applications for bursaries and
scholarships facilitated by Indspire,
including ours, open on August
1. Indspire’s process is to receive
a general application for financial
support. Its staff then streamlines the
application process so students don’t
have to do that work themselves. This
means they can’t tell us how many
students have expressed interest in
our bursary. However, if students are
matched to our award, Indspire will
send us an interim report by year-end.
If no students are matched until early
in 2024, a report will be sent to us in
June or July as to which students have
been supported.See https://indspire.
ca/programs/students/bursaries-
scholarships/ for more details on the
application process. Indspire is also
able to leverage government funds
through grants and special initiatives,
to top up bursary awards for students
in financial need.
Note that Indspire also facilitates
mentoring of students by Indigenous
professionals. See if you qualify at:
https://indspire.ca/programs/
students/rivers-to-success/become-
a-mentor/, if this interests you.
If you wish to make an individual or
organization donation to the bursary,
contact our treasurer, Bob Henderson
at bob.exlibris@gmail.com.
Please contact our president, Deb
Thomas at thomasde424@gmail.com
if you have questions about any aspect
of the bursary.
n
